"After the courses, I thought I would choose among the companies with the best conditions." The story of a developer who couldn't find a job for a year after the courses, and eventually realized himself as a freelancer, refusing an offer to relocate to Portugal

«More than three years ago, I graduated from GoIT courses. The courses were cool, structured, but what really matters is not what courses you take, but how you approach them. You can study for free, but there is a downside — the lack of a structure and people who will help you build a learning path. I say this as someone who learned programming in courses and is currently learning Unreal Engine 5 from YouTube videos. There are a lot of gaps, and this significantly slows down the process.

After the courses, I was sure that I would be hired right away with an excellent salary. I thought that I would choose among the companies with the best conditions. In fact, it turned out that the market situation has changed after the pandemic and the start of the war: competition has increased, and companies are dictating their own rules. I was faced with reality: hundreds of resumes for every job opening, test assignments that rarely lead to real work.

In the first year, I actively looked for a job, but I was never able to get a job. Reason? I focused only on technical skills, ignoring soft skills and the importance of initiative. Companies appreciate not only those who can write code, but also those who understand business, are ready to listen to the client, offer solutions and give 120%. When I realized this, offers began to appear, including $1,300 per month. But I refused the offer to relocate to Portugal, because freelancing opens up much more opportunities.

What have I learned about freelancing? Freelancing is not just one-on-one work with a client. It is about creating a team and building a process: business analyst, tester, designer, developers. It’s about understanding the client’s needs. The client does not need a site, design or cool animations. He needs a solution to the problem. The client has a business and wants to develop it online. If you overload him with technical details, he will leave.

The key to success is to listen to the client and offer a result, not just a service. Freelancing is not about work, it’s about business.»

Fedir adds that he does not work on Upwork, because it takes a lot of effort to get to the top. «There are many other sources of freelance leads, I’ll write a post about that as well. The point is simple — you need to list at least 20 sources where your client can be. As soon as you decide that you have written out all possible warrants, it is precisely at this stage that you need to „push“ yourself and write more. And these very last options will be the most effective — because they have the highest probability that your competitors have not reached them. That’s how I work) I’m not on any freelance exchange,» he advises those who want to realize themselves as a freelancer.

A Google marketer left the tech giant to become a freelancer. Now he is 100% happier and has already earned his first $1 million. Here are 4 rules that helped to achieve this

On the subject

A Google marketer left the tech giant to become a freelancer. Now he is 100% happier and has already earned his first $1 million. Here are 4 rules that helped to achieve this

In Ukraine, the demand for the development of bots has increased, because companies are trying to automate the process as much as possible. What are the most hired freelancers in 2024?

On the subject

In Ukraine, the demand for the development of bots has increased, because companies are trying to automate the process as much as possible. What are the most hired freelancers in 2024?

Read the main IT news of the country in our Telegram

On the subject

Read the main IT news of the country in our Telegram